Tackling pressure ulcers could save NHS billions?

A new pressure ulcer guide examining the importance of prevention and possible cash releasing savings for the NHS has been published by the BHTA.

With an estimated 400,000 individuals developing pressure ulcers annually costing the NHS in the range of £2.6 billion, the report draws attention to possible savings of hundreds of millions of pounds by the adoption of simple preventative actions.

The report highlights that whilst some measures have been adopted across the NHS, more had to be done to tackle the problem, including ‘raising awareness, improving education and adopting more appropriate preventative measures.’

To help raise awareness of the issue, members of the BHTA have funded the national ‘Your Turn’ campaign over the past eight years, aiming to reduce the number of pressure ulcers in the UK.

Steve Perry, Marketing and Communications Manager for the BHTA, commented: “BHTA members are constantly striving to improve best practice in the prevention and management of pressure ulcers. The new guidance works with numerous healthcare stakeholders to help achieve these aims.”

The guide lays out nine recommendations to help prevent pressure ulcers occurring or exacerbating in healthcare settings, including the need for better training, reporting and the use of tools for measuring pressure redistribution.

With the cost of treating chronic wounds associated with pressure ulcers projected to cost anywhere from two to three billion pounds per annum, the Trade Association suggests that an increase in expenditure on prevention will be more than funded by the reduction in overall NHS expenditure.